These things will come after the casino is up and running and live racing is dead. I'm thinking carnival, water park, etc on one end, outdoor sports bar and OTB on the other with the casino in the middle.

Will these new attractions be free for casino patrons? Will the $5 for coolers be waived?

Actually, I'd drop the OTB part at the main casino campus. Between the slots and the new online gaming, Arlington management will have no interest in a low margin game like horse racing, other than to give away whatever purse money is mandated from the added gambling as expeditiously as possible, in probably as short a racing season as possible.

Once the barns are gone, I envision the addition of an entertainment complex, hotel and a shopping mall. Think Gulfstream except admission is free at Gulfstream.

Is that hotel to the west by the freeway still for sale?

Maybe AP could purchase that, do a thing like the Indians do to make it part of the rez, and then refurbish it and make it into the casino/Internet gaming center. Then they could leave the track pretty much as is and still charge admission & cooler charges to racing patrons. I'd call it a win/win for DD's stocks.

Now they're going to have to close the training track and relocate barns back there to free up some ex-barn space for remote parking, while they transform the horsemen's parking lot into all the new casino junk. I have no idea where the waterpark extravaganza will fit. Maybe all the desirable barns just behind the paddock will be the ones that have to move, to make room for VIP casino patron parking.

he is a greedy fat ugly man who is probably the most disliked man in the game today

Duh, yeah and someday the sandman will be looking for you and me as well.

Having met the man, I can heartily say that you don't know jack, jack. Mr. D is dedicated to putting on the best face for racing of anyone I've met. You sir, are the stuff that resides between his toes.

I don't know where this mindset from horse racing fans/bettors comes from where everything should be given to them for free for going to the track

If $5 to bring in your own food (the track is paying to clean up after you) or $6 to bring in your kid (it's entertainment for them, right?) is too much, you probably shouldn't be spending your money on gambling. Do you complain that you have to pay for your kid's ticket to a movie or that you can't bring food in there either?

I don't know where this mindset from horse racing fans/bettors comes from where everything should be given to them for free for going to the track

If $5 to bring in your own food (the track is paying to clean up after you) or $6 to bring in your kid (it's entertainment for them, right?) is too much, you probably shouldn't be spending your money on gambling. Do you complain that you have to pay for your kid's ticket to a movie or that you can't bring food in there either?

Arlington is a gambling establishment. Gamblers expect the norms of gambling establishments. What's the price of admission at area casinos these days?

If AP had the same quality racing as Saratoga, they would have the same handle.

Who makes that happen? Who is responsible for the quality of racing in Illinois? Is it all AP's fault? Is it possible to have the highest quality racing in our area running 11 months a year? Do higher purses guarantee a higher caliber of horse(s) and larger fields? (see PA)

It seems to me that if you are arguing for a quality of meet similar to Saratoga, AP should have a boutique meet of similar length starting in July when CD ends. Have 60-70K MSW and ALW races and you could have a lot of major barns shipping up here from CD. I would imagine that the Illinois horsemen might not be too keen on that scenario. Increased competition and fewer racing days is not something the ITHA is fighting for, and would no doubt strenuously fight against.

It's disappointing that AP is trying to capture every nickel it can squeeze out of the casual fan. I guess they feel charging $2 for kids will help make up the deficit for not having slots for the kids to play:).

The argument will be that even the Kane County Cougars charge 8 to 10 for lawn seats for all and you can't bring in outside food!

Kid eat food, so with less kids at AP this summer I would expect food prices to go up too! Or I guess I'm just waiting for the pay toilet to make a comeback...

I understand business is business, but a little continuity year to year would be helpful especially when racing has their hands fully extended looking for voter support.

A shorter boutique meet would be great. And while we're at it, why not move the track up to the Wisc Dells. Maybe we could appease the Illinois horsemen with a subsidy from the Arlington Heights casino.

Who makes that happen? Who is responsible for the quality of racing in Illinois? Is it all AP's fault? Is it possible to have the highest quality racing in our area running 11 months a year? Do higher purses guarantee a higher caliber of horse(s) and larger fields? (see PA)

It's disappointing that AP is trying to capture every nickel it can squeeze out of the casual fan. I guess they feel charging $2 for kids will help make up the deficit for not having slots for the kids to play:).

The argument will be that even the Kane County Cougars charge 8 to 10 for lawn seats for all and you can't bring in outside food!

Kid eat food, so with less kids at AP this summer I would expect food prices to go up too! Or I guess I'm just waiting for the pay toilet to make a comeback...

I understand business is business, but a little continuity year to year would be helpful especially when racing has their hands fully extended looking for voter support.

Well, of course this is all the fault of the IRB for giving those winter simulcast dates to Haw ... even though AP announced this policy for 2013 before the dates hearing.

All i know is that the best deal in town is going to Haw on a Friday for live racing...$2 admission which includes a free racing form,,,,a Friday at AP will cost what? $14.50 to get in and a form??.........no thanks

You know how much I hate to disagree with you, but even if you ignore the fact that they have subsidized purses, one might point out a slight difference in the quality of racing during the 40 or so days that Saratoga runs.

Yesterday, I asked at the programs counter at the OTB, "if someone asked for a Daily Racing Guide, what would you sell them?" She first asked me, "A Green Sheet?" Then she asked, "Maybe a book, a program?" If someone buys into those memberships at Arlington for attending multiple times, it's not going to be a novice and they will call it a program like everyone else thoughout the country. There is nothing wrong with the word "program". I think calling it a Daily Racing Guide is just another silly Arlington PR tactic. They want to make it sound similar to the Daily Racing Form but can't use that name so they made up a new name similar to it, in my opinion. This is not really a big issue to me but just an example of how silly Arlington is and how they confuse people more than they already are, possibly hoping to sell more of their Daily Racing Guides.

You know how much I hate to disagree with you, but even if you ignore the fact that they have subsidized purses, one might point out a slight difference in the quality of racing during the 40 or so days that Saratoga runs.

They have had subsidized purses for 2 years only, while the quality of racing there has been far and away above Arlington's for as long as I can remember, so that's not an issue.

And yes, Saratoga is better than Aqueduct, and slightly better than Belmont, but even the quality of Aqueduct has been better than what AP offers over recent years, at least as far as purses. So let's not be blaming the inability of AP to be Saratoga on a year round schedule.

And NYRA didn't even own the OTBs out there all these years, though they did get some money from them.

And I might add that So. Cal. runs a year round circuit without subsidies, and every one of those meets exceeds AP in quality.